Memories of Us
by chukin
Summary: This is how it all began for Nick Jonas and Nicole Anderson. A simple friendship. This is before Unexpected Love.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This story is set before the events of _Unexpected Love. _I thought I give you all a flashback to how it all began between Nick and Nicole. The story is mostly based upon the moments that they shared before any feelings are developed between them. However, there will be only about 3 chapters. I hope you guys like it!

* * *

**You Are The Music In Me**

When he was diagnosed with diabetes, Nick Jonas vowed to never be letdown by anything. He vowed to live everyday to the fullest; just because he had diabetes it doesn't mean that he couldn't live life the way he wanted and even though living the everyday life needed an extra effort, he was willing to do it. But there are times when he would feel himself being down, days when he could feel the heavy weight of the world on his shoulders; and days when he wish he could crawl into his bed and curl under the covers and never ever wake up.

Today was one of those days.

Feeling his emotional breakdown a burden to those around him, Nick would often avoid people and instead let himself drowned in his feeling by letting the most precious thing to him to comfort him in his most vulnerable state. Music.

The producers of their TV show, _JONAS_, had been kind and considerate enough to organize, what they like to call, a music room for the 3 brothers. The music room is a little room that is held at the corner of their studio near the set; and inside the room sat a grand black piano and a drum kit along with small sofas for the brothers to enjoy themselves.

Which is where Nick was going until he, suddenly, heard the tunes of the piano being played. He stopped; did he missed the piano that much that he could hear it calling to him or was there someone else that's playing it? The room was usually, only occupied by Joe, Kevin and himself...but both Kevin and Joe were in their dressing rooms.... Who else could it be?

Quietly, he walked up to the door and, gently, pushed it opened. He peeked in and saw a small brunette-head figure sitting and playing with keys of the piano. She was soaked into it that she hadn't realised his presence at the door, and that he was smiling softly at her.

"I didn't know you played."

Startled, her fingers stopped playing and she whipped her head around towards the source of the voice. She immediately relaxed and gave a smile when she realised who it was.

"I don't." She watched him take a couple of strides across the room towards the piano. "Usually it's more of pressing the random keys to see what tune I get."

She demonstrated her statement by playing a tune on the keys of the piano. She played a familiar tune; a tune that had glued in his heart; a tune that he considered to be the cure of the way he was feeling now.

She stopped playing just before it hit the chorus. "That's how far I know. You know, it took me 3 weeks to figure that out!"

He slipped next to her on the small cushion seat.

"Here," Nick said. "I'll help you."

He shifted closer to her and snaked his left arm around, then he place both of his hands on top of her small ones. Focusing his eyes on the black and white keys, he gently pressed her fingers against it, making it danced as he guides her through the correct notes.

His opened his mouth and a soft voice filled the empty room as he provides the lyrics to the music.

"Got the news today,

Doctor said I to stay,

A little bit longer and I'll be fine."

He was so careful with his words that she could see his vulnerability openly.

"When I thought it'd all been done,

When I thought it'd all been said..."

His voice was so beautiful, so angelic that it wrapped itself around her like a cobweb, pulling her into his world, and soon enough she found herself floating with him as she joined the melody together.

"A little bit longer and I'll be fine."

The music became tense as he poured out all his emotions out but it never failed to stop her from being in sync with him.

"But you don't know what you got until it's gone,

And you don't what it's like to feel so low,

And everytime you smile, you laugh, you glow.

You don't even know,

No, no..."

He told people that this song was a way of him reassuring himself about his diabetes, a song to help him see that there is a light waiting for him at the end of a dark tunnel. She had never understood that but now listening to him singing it it's as if he speaking to her, and she had never felt more connected to him than now.

"All this time goes by,

Still no reason why,

A little bit longer and I'll be fine.

Waiting on a cure,

But none of them are sure,

A little bit longer and I'll be fine."

He repeated the chorus and this time he emphasises the meaning of what the song meant to him.

The next part of the song should've been the highlight of it, as usually this is when the music hit the beat and a guitar solo enters the song. However, since there was no one except them in the small room, Nick replaced it with a soft melody against the keys of the piano which he seemed to know like the back of his hand.

"So I'll wait until kingdom come,

All the highs and lows are gone,

A little bit longer and I'll be fine."

The last word was barely above whisper and she watched as he played their fingers on the last note.

Silence fell between them as their eyes were transfixed upon the white and black keys of the piano. It was as if they had been scared by it.

"Wow," Nicole breathed. She was speechless by the performance. "That was beautiful, Nick."

Nick dipped his head and realizing that their hands are still entwined, he pulled away.

"I thought you said that you couldn't sing."

Nicole smile as her fingers traced the keys, reminiscing the notes that she had just played. "I don't sing - not in front of people, anyway, especially rockstars."

"Aren't I the lucky one?" Nick teased.

Nicole laughed and took out her phone, checking the time. She found herself being surprised when she realised that it was late in the afternoon.

"You can go home if you want," Nick said as if he's reading her mind.

Deleting all the things that she needed to do before dinner time, she smile at Nick and shook her head.

"Not its okay, I rather stay here with you. If you don't mind...?"

And just like that all his previous feeling of being down was washed away, like someone had turn on the lights for him and he could see clearly now. "I don't mind."

They smile gently at each other.

"So what about _Black Keys_?"

Nick chuckled, Nicole always seems to know how to cheer him up. "Okay, let's see...see this..."

* * *

_Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A Dinner For Two**

"Thank you, guys!"

Nicole Anderson beamed at the crowds as they cheered for her. With one last quick wave, she walked off the stage platform, pasing her microphone to a techinician as she walked backstage.

"Nicole!"

Nicole stopped at her name and turned to find Nick Jonas, urgently, walking up to her.

"Hey!" he breathed. He sounded as if he had ran a marathon.

"Hi!" replied Nicole and smiled at his flushed, red-hot face.

Nick did a quick glanced around him before turning back to her. "You're staying after the show?"

Nicole shrugged her shoulders, "I...er..."

"Nick!" They both turned to see Joe, a microphone in hand, and nodded to his brother in the direction of the stage. He spotted Nicole and gave her a small wave. "Hey, Nicole! Nick, come on!"

Nicole stiffled a wave as she watched Joe, followed closely behind by Kevin – who also stopped to greet her – sprinted to the stage for their performance.

Nick, desperately, turned to her, raising his voice as the crowds roared behind them. "Stay after the show! Just wait-"

"Nick!" This time it was Big Rob; Nick held up his hand without even turning around.

"One sec! Just wait at the VIP section and I'll come and find you! Wait for me, 'kay?"

Nicole opened her mouth but before she could uttered a single word, Nick had dissapeared behind the black curtains and soon her voice was drowned out by the intensed screamed from the crowds.

"Okay..."

* * *

She tapped her foot against the floor in rythmn as she hummed her favourite tune that was performed earlier on stage. A group of giggled voice captured her attention and she watched as the last group of an over-excited fans made their way out of the venue, leaving her as the last and only person left.

As she waited for her friend, Nicole realised just how empty and lonely the venue felt like without its audience and its performing act. It was hard to belive that just half and hour ago, the venue was filled with loud, thundering screaming sounds because now it is conquered by a deafening silence.

Beside her, her phone vibrated indicating that she had just receive a text message. It was from her brother, Kenn.

"_Hey! How was the JB concert?"_

Nicole smiled and text her reply.

"Didn't think you would stay," a voice called.

Nicole looked up from her phone and laughed.

Nick Jonas stood in front of her with a grin and two hands that held two Redbull cans and a pizza box. "You said I owe you a dinner, right?"

* * *

"The stage isn't so bad after all," Nicole said.

Nick's head rolled to the side as he looked at her, "See I told you there's nothing to be afraid of."

They were both laying on the stage with their feet dangling at the edge as the two drink cans and the pizza box layed emptied above their heads.

"But it still doesn't make my stage-fright go away," Nicole said.

"I love the stage...and performing," Nick said, dreamily as the exhilaration of his previous performance flooded through him. "It's all I ever known. And every night I go up here and performed in front of the crowds...it feels like a dream."

Nicole turned to him and smile, "I like watching you perform."

"You do?"

"On stage," Nicole said, "When you're singing and playing the guitar, piano and the drums – you become this completely different person. We get to see a different side of Nick Jonas. Good different."

Nick looked at her in awe. "Thank you," he said. "That means a lot to me."

"You were born to perform Nick. I don't think I can see you doing anything else than that."

Nick shrugged his shoulders, "Well, there's always baseball."

Nicole laughed, "You're pretty good at that too! Certaintly, very competitive! No doubt you'll be the star of every game."

Nick smiled at the thought. "I suppose..."

A small, comfortable silence spread between them as they breathed in the calm atmosphere and stared at the overhead tall ceiling of the venue.

"Nicole," Nick said, breaking the silence spell, "You like the Jonas Brothers don't you? As a band?"

"It's one of my favourite band, yes," Nicole replied.

"What would you say if I told you, I'm going solo?"

Nicole, immediately, turned to him and her eyes widen. "Wow...really?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah...I've been thinking...I mean, I've been planning. And since we'd agreed to take some time off after the tour – it seemed like a perfect timing to launch a solo career, you know."

"And your brothers?" Nicole asked.

"They said they expected it. I mean, that's how the Jonas Brothers started out – me going solo before we decided it was best to go as a band. I mean, it was only a matter of when..."

"And the Jonas Brothers?"

"Are still a band. This is just a little side project," Nick said.

"I think it's great that you want to go solo, Nick," Nicole said, sincerely. "Like you said, it's been on your mind for a long time and it was just a matter of perfect timing. And I'm sure the fans will support you." She laughed, "You're Nick Jonas! Of course they will support you!"

"And what do you think?" Nick asked. Somehow, her opinions matter greatly to him.

"I think you would do great," Nicole smiled, "Better even. You're gonna conquer the world, Nick Jonas! Infact, you alreadly have."

They shared a smile between them. Suddenly, Nick sat upright and nodded to Nicole to followed him suit as he pulled out his phone and a pair of ear-plugs.

Nicole looked at Nick questioningly as he handed her the ear-plugs.

"Put them on," he said. Nicole did as she was told and waited patiently as Nick pressed a specific button on his phone.

A soft, acoustic guitar tune came flodding through the speakers along with a singing voice.

"_I want somebody to love me..."_

* * *

"So...what do you think?" Nick asked as Nicole took pulled the ear-plugs out from her ears. "It's called _Who I Am_, it's for the working-solo album, and I know the song isn't complete yet but-"

"It's great!" Nicole said, a huge smile on her face. "Nick, it's _really _great!"

At her words, Nick found himself smiling openly, a huge, excited, accomplished feeling welled up inside of his chest. "Really? You like?"

"I _love_," Nicole said. "I'm not a music producer or a professional singer or anything but it's great. _It's you_."

"Thank you," Nick said as Nicole handed back his phone. "You know you're the first person who I let listen to the song."

"Well, I'm honoured," Nicole smiled.

"I really want the fans to hear and know _Nick Jonas_," Nick said, his face serious. "I want them to listen to songs that comes from who I am; I want them to know how much music means to me."

"I know."

A small silence passed between them.

"It's late," Nicole said, looking at the empty venue, "We should go."

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "We should."

"Thanks for dinner. It was nice," Nicole said as Nick jumped off the stage and then helping her get off.

"No problem." Nick gathered their empty leftover. "We should do it again. Except next time, it will be in a proper restaurant."

Nicole laughed. "That will be nice." She smile as she linked her arm through Nick's held out arm.

"Hey, Nic," Nick said as they began walking to the exit door. "Thank you for listening to me."

Nicole smiled, "That's what friends for."

* * *

_**Hey, sorry for the long wait! School work and exams left me with no time to write at all! Hopefully the next one is quicker than this one! Please review!**_


End file.
